The Just Shall Live By Faith

People often have a faulty or inaccurate view of God. Some people don’t know Him at all. Others view Him as some sadistic monster with an ego that is out of control. Some don’t believe He exists at all. Those are the extreme cases to be sure, but most people believe in God (or at least a god), it’s just that they simply have an incomplete or incorrect view of Who He is, because they have no faith. I was one of those people.

For years I struggled with a personal image of God as Someone Who could not possibly love me. My past is rather – shall I say – colorful? He is holy, righteous and just; I was the exact opposite. I was sure God wanted nothing to do with me because He knew full well the things I had done. That was my understanding of how God viewed me, but in fact I could not have been more wrong!

Even though my past was something to be ashamed of, I have learned that God has done more than I could have imagined to win over my heart and life. The key for increasing my faith and changing my distorted perception was found in a constant refocusing of my thoughts, intentions and imaginations on the Word of God. I had heard all kinds of things about Him, but didn’t actually know the truth about Him. That truth is found in His Word, the Bible. The only thing required of me in getting to know Him was/is that I repent of my self-centeredness and then by faith take Him at His Word. By constant exposure to His Word my mind was/is finally renewed to the point that the Holy Spirit was/is able to bring me light and life. That process is an ongoing work, as it is with everyone who maintains their walk of faith with Christ.

By that same Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul wrote something that is truly life changing, and by continually meditating on it I still get new insights to this day;

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Notice the part that says the righteousness of God is revealed “from faith to faith?” I can’t tell you how relieved and empowered I was when I found out the truth about our spiritual walk with God through Christ. It isn’t a ‘one-time show,’ but rather it is a process. Just as a baby should not be expected to start college classes, so a new Christian should not be expected to operate in the maturity that can only come from time and experience;

Rom 2:6-8
…Who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality…

The above is a partial quote from a passage that reveals how God treats people who practice their lifestyles – whether good or evil. He renders a reward for however we decide to live our lives. If we submit to Him in faith we have a reward to look forward to, even though it is some time in the future. If we are evil, we also have a future, but it is hardly one that anyone would look forward to. By practicing our life choices we cement into place the reward that God has for us. What a relief to know that God understands our hearts! As we follow a heart of faith we draw closer to God through Christ. If our hearts are filled with anything else then we will reject the life of faith. This is a universal process, and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

This process isn’t new and it isn’t exclusive to me alone, or to anyone else for that matter. The process of salvation is available to anyone and everyone who will repent and believe the gospel – without exception. This is the love of God personified and perpetuated from the beginning of creation. Because God is the Master of time and space, and because He is love, He responds the same way all the time. My sincere hope is that as you read the following pages you will gain a new or ever-deepening understanding of Who our Father is. By better understanding His character and attributes we can rest fully in all that He has provided for us – in love – through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and the continual work of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives.

God bless you as you seek Him in sincerity and truth!